What do the new QTS changes mean for SEND settings?
New legislation introduced by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act (2026) means that from 1 September 2027, teachers in academies, including SEND settings like special academies, will be required to have or be working towards Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
As reported by Tes Magazine, SEND settings are more likely to employ unqualified teachers than mainstream schools. As such, it's important to understand how the new QTS mandate for academies will impact SEND settings and special academies.
This article explores what the change means for SEND settings and teaching SEND without QTS.
Contents
Are special schools affected by the new requirements?
The new QTS requirements apply to academies, including any special schools which are academies. This means that all teachers in these settings should have or be working towards QTS by 1 September 2027, with some exemptions.
What do the academy QTS changes mean for SEND teachers?
The changes mean you cannot work as a SEND teacher in an academy if you have not been awarded QTS. However, there are some exemptions, so this may depend on your circumstances.
Firstly, if you're already teaching in an academy without QTS, you can continue in your current role without it. Similarly, you can also move teaching roles with your current employer.
However, if you don't have QTS by September 2027, you won't be able to move to a new employer – that is, you can’t start a new teaching role at a different school if it is an academy or maintained school.
The legislation doesn’t affect Teaching Assistants (TAs) or Higher-Level Teaching Assistants (HLTAs), as TAs or HLTAs should not take on full teaching roles so aren't required to have QTS.
You are also exempt from the QTS rules if you are on an employment-based teacher training scheme, such as if you have a specialised degree but no QTS. In this case, you can be recruited by an academy to teach SEND students, but you must go on to get QTS through an employment-based ITT course or the Assessment Only route.
Can I get QTS while working in a SEND setting?
If you're already an experienced unqualified teacher, you can get QTS while working in your current setting through the Assessment Only route.
The Assessment Only route to QTS enables those already working in a school to be assessed against the English Teachers’ Standards and gain QTS within three months.
To be eligible for the Assessment Only route, you need to have at least two years of teaching experience in at least two different schools. If you are currently teaching in a SEND setting but don't have the required experience, Tes Institute's Straight to Teaching SEND course helps you to gain it.
The course is for unqualified teachers and teaching assistants in SEND settings, and helps you prepare to undertake QTS assessment through the Assessment Only route while working in your current setting.
Can teaching assistants become qualified SEND teachers?
If you are a TA or HLTA and want to be a SEND teacher, there are multiple ways you can get QTS and become a fully qualified teacher, enabling you to take on a teaching role in a SEND setting.
As long as you have a degree, there are several routes to becoming a qualified teacher:
-
Initial Teacher Training (ITT): a year-long school-led program leading to QTS
-
Straight to Teaching SEND: if you already have some teaching experience, this course helps you prepare for the Assessment Only route to QTS
What qualifications are required to teach in an inclusion base?
The DfE's 2026 whitepaper, 'Every child achieving and thriving', introduced the idea that mainstream settings should have inclusion bases, which "will give children with additional needs the opportunity to learn in mainstream schools, alongside their peers".
Guidance on inclusion bases indicates that these should be led by a qualified teacher, so TAs, HLTAs and unqualified SEND teachers cannot lead an inclusion base.
As such, SEND teachers leading an inclusion base in a mainstream school are required to have QTS.
Get QTS with Tes Institute
If you're an unqualified teacher in a SEND setting, our Assessment Only route to QTS enables you to become a qualified teacher without leaving your school.
If you don't have the teaching experience required for the Assessment Only route, our Straight to Teaching SEND course helps you gain this while working in a SEND setting and prepare for getting QTS through Assessment Only.
Watch our on-demand webinar about Assessment Only to find out how it can help you gain QTS in as little as three months.